WHAT?
At the end of the Cold War there was a decline in communism which greatly altered the international political scene. Some of the traumatic changes included the reunification of Germany, the rapid democratization of Russia, and the velvet divorce of Czechoslovakia from Communist influence, among with some other events. One of the most liberal communist regimes was the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which was lead by the enigmatic dictator Josip Broz Tito. Tito kept tight control over the various ethnic, religious, and nationalist groups under the umbrella of a ‘greater Yugoslavia.’ After Tito’s death, politicians began exploiting nationalist rhetoric, pitting the Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks against each other and igniting the flame of ultra nationalism resulting in violence. The multi-ethnic republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina quickly became the site of one of the deadliest warfare in the area and the target of an ethnic cleansing. The genocide in Bosnia claimed the lives of an estimated 100,000 people.
WHERE?
Bosnia-Herzegovinia, and the other six nations that made up the former republic of Yugoslavia, is located in the southeastern Europe which is along the coast of the Adriatic Sea between Italy and Romania. The population of Bosnia is about 3.8 million, with 48 percent Bosniaks (muslims), 37 percent Serbs, and 14 percent Croats. Bosnia is only slightly smaller than West Virginia but still manages to accommodate double the population.
At the end of the Cold War there was a decline in communism which greatly altered the international political scene. Some of the traumatic changes included the reunification of Germany, the rapid democratization of Russia, and the velvet divorce of Czechoslovakia from Communist influence, among with some other events. One of the most liberal communist regimes was the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which was lead by the enigmatic dictator Josip Broz Tito. Tito kept tight control over the various ethnic, religious, and nationalist groups under the umbrella of a ‘greater Yugoslavia.’ After Tito’s death, politicians began exploiting nationalist rhetoric, pitting the Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks against each other and igniting the flame of ultra nationalism resulting in violence. The multi-ethnic republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina quickly became the site of one of the deadliest warfare in the area and the target of an ethnic cleansing. The genocide in Bosnia claimed the lives of an estimated 100,000 people.
WHERE?
Bosnia-Herzegovinia, and the other six nations that made up the former republic of Yugoslavia, is located in the southeastern Europe which is along the coast of the Adriatic Sea between Italy and Romania. The population of Bosnia is about 3.8 million, with 48 percent Bosniaks (muslims), 37 percent Serbs, and 14 percent Croats. Bosnia is only slightly smaller than West Virginia but still manages to accommodate double the population.
When?
The country of Yugoslavia, located in southeastern europe on the Adriatic Sea. Yugoslavia is the complex product of a complex history. The countries confusing and conflicting mosaic of people, languages, religions, and cultures took shape during centuries of turmoil after the collapse of the Roman Empire. From the very beginning it was a state that was made up of various ethnic groups with different religious and cultural backgrounds. There was a lot of tension between the groups that existed in the past and those that continue to exist today. The three major ethnic groups at the time were Serbs, Croats and the Slovenes. Even though all of these came from Slavic backgrounds, they had very big differences between them. The Serbs, who were under Ottoman control, were of the Eastern Orthodox religion, spoke the Serbian language. They held the biggest territory and were also the largest of the three. The Croatians, who were under French and Austro-Hungarian control, were mostly Catholic and spoke the Croatian language. They were the second largest population group and had the richest resources of the three with the greatest amount of natural resources. Finally, the Slovenians, who were under Austro-Hungarian control, were also Catholic and spoke the Slovenian language. With the end of World War I and the fall of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, these three major ethnic groups joined together to form the first state that was the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in December of 1918. There were many reasons for the three to unite and form a country of their own, including gaining human rights, protection from larger foreign empires and countries, and obtaining security and autonomy.
The country of Yugoslavia was formed in 1929. During the first few years after the birth of the new country, national dissatisfaction grew between the three groups and many disliked the idea of a new state. Much of the turmoil between the different cultural and religious backgrounds of the groups resulted in political separations, with Croatians resenting the idea of centralism, which was the favored government of the king and of the Serbs. The Croatians instead wanted a federalist state. Both Croatians and Slovenians resented Serbian domination in government and in military affairs. Within the three ethnic groups people sided with a variety of political parties and tensions kept rising. During World War II, Josip Broz, known as “Tito,” successfully held the country together under his communist/socialist dictatorship. Tito worked to ensure that no ethnic group dominated the federation and he successfully implemented a multi-ethnic peaceful co-existence. Not only did Tito work to defuse ethnic differences among the people, but there was also much done with regards to the economy. Many people argue that Tito was a great leader and that the country of Yugoslavia relied on him to maintain peace and stability within the country and to keep it from separation. Without him the strings that tied the nation together were broken.
The country of Yugoslavia, located in southeastern europe on the Adriatic Sea. Yugoslavia is the complex product of a complex history. The countries confusing and conflicting mosaic of people, languages, religions, and cultures took shape during centuries of turmoil after the collapse of the Roman Empire. From the very beginning it was a state that was made up of various ethnic groups with different religious and cultural backgrounds. There was a lot of tension between the groups that existed in the past and those that continue to exist today. The three major ethnic groups at the time were Serbs, Croats and the Slovenes. Even though all of these came from Slavic backgrounds, they had very big differences between them. The Serbs, who were under Ottoman control, were of the Eastern Orthodox religion, spoke the Serbian language. They held the biggest territory and were also the largest of the three. The Croatians, who were under French and Austro-Hungarian control, were mostly Catholic and spoke the Croatian language. They were the second largest population group and had the richest resources of the three with the greatest amount of natural resources. Finally, the Slovenians, who were under Austro-Hungarian control, were also Catholic and spoke the Slovenian language. With the end of World War I and the fall of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, these three major ethnic groups joined together to form the first state that was the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in December of 1918. There were many reasons for the three to unite and form a country of their own, including gaining human rights, protection from larger foreign empires and countries, and obtaining security and autonomy.
The country of Yugoslavia was formed in 1929. During the first few years after the birth of the new country, national dissatisfaction grew between the three groups and many disliked the idea of a new state. Much of the turmoil between the different cultural and religious backgrounds of the groups resulted in political separations, with Croatians resenting the idea of centralism, which was the favored government of the king and of the Serbs. The Croatians instead wanted a federalist state. Both Croatians and Slovenians resented Serbian domination in government and in military affairs. Within the three ethnic groups people sided with a variety of political parties and tensions kept rising. During World War II, Josip Broz, known as “Tito,” successfully held the country together under his communist/socialist dictatorship. Tito worked to ensure that no ethnic group dominated the federation and he successfully implemented a multi-ethnic peaceful co-existence. Not only did Tito work to defuse ethnic differences among the people, but there was also much done with regards to the economy. Many people argue that Tito was a great leader and that the country of Yugoslavia relied on him to maintain peace and stability within the country and to keep it from separation. Without him the strings that tied the nation together were broken.
How?
The Civil War: After Tito passed away in 1980, the various groups lost their organized economic integration and many old tensions awoke and disrupted the peace that had existed for the thirty-five years Tito ruled. His death causes ambitious leaders to try to step in and fill the void with nationalist rhetoric and propaganda. When Slobodan Milosevic rose to power in 1987 it initiated feelings of hatred towards one another. Both Tudjman and Milosevic realized sooner than most that rousing nationalist passions was an effective way to exploit the Yugoslav upheavals for their own power.Talks of independence began to spread throughout the six republics, with Slovenia and Croatia the first to declare independence. Although Slovenia left Yugoslavia relatively peacefully, this was not the case for the other regions. The tensions between the Croats, Serbs, and others were exposed and proved too great to be dealt with in peaceful terms. War finally broke out. Bosnia, the most ethnically heterogeneous of Yugoslavia’s republics, with 43 percent Muslims, 35 percent Orthodox Serbs, and 18 percent Catholic Croatians, suffered the worst fate.
The multi-ethnic republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina quickly became the site of the deadliest warfare and the target of ethnic cleansing. Like the Nazis cleansing Europe of its Jews, the Serbs’ aim was the ethnic cleansing of any Bosniak or Croat presence in Serbian territory. This term meant that various human rights violations occurred that ranged from curfews and forced relocations to rape, castration, imprisonment in concentration camps, and death. The Serbs plan of attack involved:
1. Concentration - urge Serb residents of the city to leave, while surrounding the town and bombarding it with artillery fire.
2. Decapitation - execute the leaders and important people of the town.
3. Separation - separate the women, children, and old men from the men of fighting age which could be used in war.
4. Evacuation - move women, children, and old men to concentration camps or national borders.
5. Liquidation - execute the men of fighting age.
The Civil War: After Tito passed away in 1980, the various groups lost their organized economic integration and many old tensions awoke and disrupted the peace that had existed for the thirty-five years Tito ruled. His death causes ambitious leaders to try to step in and fill the void with nationalist rhetoric and propaganda. When Slobodan Milosevic rose to power in 1987 it initiated feelings of hatred towards one another. Both Tudjman and Milosevic realized sooner than most that rousing nationalist passions was an effective way to exploit the Yugoslav upheavals for their own power.Talks of independence began to spread throughout the six republics, with Slovenia and Croatia the first to declare independence. Although Slovenia left Yugoslavia relatively peacefully, this was not the case for the other regions. The tensions between the Croats, Serbs, and others were exposed and proved too great to be dealt with in peaceful terms. War finally broke out. Bosnia, the most ethnically heterogeneous of Yugoslavia’s republics, with 43 percent Muslims, 35 percent Orthodox Serbs, and 18 percent Catholic Croatians, suffered the worst fate.
The multi-ethnic republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina quickly became the site of the deadliest warfare and the target of ethnic cleansing. Like the Nazis cleansing Europe of its Jews, the Serbs’ aim was the ethnic cleansing of any Bosniak or Croat presence in Serbian territory. This term meant that various human rights violations occurred that ranged from curfews and forced relocations to rape, castration, imprisonment in concentration camps, and death. The Serbs plan of attack involved:
1. Concentration - urge Serb residents of the city to leave, while surrounding the town and bombarding it with artillery fire.
2. Decapitation - execute the leaders and important people of the town.
3. Separation - separate the women, children, and old men from the men of fighting age which could be used in war.
4. Evacuation - move women, children, and old men to concentration camps or national borders.
5. Liquidation - execute the men of fighting age.
In July of 1995, Serb General Ratko Mladic marched into Srebrenica, separated the women and children from the men, and murdered approximately 7,000 Bosniak men and boys, the single largest massacre in Europe since World War II. For those who were not killed in the initial massacre, many were sent to one of 381 concentration or detention camps in Bosnia. Inhumane living conditions, beatings, torture, and mass executions were daily occurrences at these camps and eventually claimed the lives of around 10,000 people over the course of the war. Women were often taken to rape camps, where they were raped and tortured for weeks and months until they became pregnant. It is estimated that 20,000 rapes occurred between 1992 and 1995 in Bosnia.